News
Local

Niagara Falls tree bylaws under review

Andrea Giacometti believes people should be fully responsible for the trees on their properties.

The Niagara Falls resident addressed city council Tuesday, and said the municipality should be doing more in regards to the tree section of its bylaws.

“I understand that this is a topic that has much controversy surrounding it. I find it very hard to comprehend why someone is able to grow a tree directly on a property line and when that tree becomes an issue to neighbouring properties, that it is acceptable,” she wrote in a recent letter to city hall.

“The bylaws only state that you are able to trim up a property line. This leaves me asking how am I responsible for someone else’s tree when I am not the owner of the tree.”

Giacometti said she has heard “many stories” about the issue, adding the way the bylaws currently stand is “definitely not enough.”

“I am asking council to think of the many situations where someone may not own or have ownership of a tree coming onto their property, but are expected to maintain this tree, or be forced to take on maintenance, when it should not be their responsibility,” she said.

“I feel new bylaws should be put into place to create a more effective way of dealing with these types of situations.”

Giacometti said she enjoys the “beauty that trees have to offer us,” and is not asking for trees be cut down in the future to implement new bylaws.

“I am strongly asking that the owner of a tree should have full responsibility for a tree they own on their property, and all the maintenance that comes with it,” she said.

“I am asking that the issues surrounding private trees in the municipality of Niagara Falls be looked at and addressed. I am asking for council to have a discussion to see what can be done to help these types of issues happening throughout our municipality.”

Coun. Wayne Thomson said he has received numerous calls about this issue during the last three to four months.

He said many seniors don’t have the financial ability, nor the strength or knowledge, to properly cut trees that encroach on their properties.

“This is not insignificant. It’s very difficult to deal with,” said Thomson.

He said while the issue is seen as a legal matter between property owners, Thomson called on staff to report back to council on best practices, and to see if and how other municipalities deal with the issue.

Thomson’s motion was unanimously approved.

Coun. Kim Craitor said he, too, has received a number of calls about the issue.

He said while the city can issue orders under its property standards bylaw to property owners, it’s only if a tree is deemed to be unsafe.

Craitor said in those cases, residents are notified to remove the tree, and if they don’t do so within a reasonable timeframe, the municipality will do so, and add the related cost to the resident’s property taxes.